Yesterday I registered and shot off an email to the Continental Divide Trail Coalition. The volunteer manager (like the US version of DNT’s Lise) got me into a trail maintenance project in the Rockies starting on Thursday.
Do now I have a 45 hour train journey booked for the measly sum of 750USD. First night in couch, so this will be the Interrail trip I never took as a youth.
Amtrak has a way to go with their booking system. After giving up on the app, it took the Amtrak lady almost an hour to find the functional ticket combination. Train was full, so I could not get a “roomette” the whole way. Ashland to Klamanth Falls, then train to Sacramento, and then the train all the way to Fraser Colorado.
This morning I went to REI in Medford to ping up some freeze dry, propane and some trousers more suited for trail work. Uber there and local bus back. “Hey man doing the PCT? Awesome man!”.
Then I went to eat something at the sandwich shop not too far from the bus stop. A huge pastrami sandwich and a coke. There were three ladies on the next table who asked me if I was hiking the PCT. And a bit of talking about that, how liberal Ashland was, that they were going to hike a week of the PCT soon. I got their picture for the blog, and then they asked me when my bus was. This was about 1530. For 1715 bus, so they asked me if I wanted to come with them swimming in Emigrant Lake. Sure! So I we threw my backpack in the back of their car and drove to this magnificent lake. Where even I went swimming for a bit.
Turns out the three of them are the best trail angles imaginable. When the go hiking they bring a huge cooler with beers, weed and magic mushrooms for the hikers! Imagine that. I feel so honored to meet people like this! I am now accumulating a huge debt of obligation I have to pay forward. Not sure if that kind of trail magic would play well in Norway? :-)
Now on the two hour bus to Klamanth Falls. For a marathon train trip.
